BULLS NEWS

Buffalo Announces APR Findings

Warde Manuel

The Academic Progress Rate (APR) is a key measure used to identify both high and low academic performing teams in the Division I Academic Performance Program (APP). Intended as a four-year rate of measure, the first full four-year data set will include academic years 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07.

Only four Bulls’ programs fell below the 925 “cut line,” with only Buffalo’s football program earning penalties. Football had a total score of 879 which resulted in a penalty of four overall scholarships. However, because of advance planning, the Bulls’ took three of their penalties during the 2006-07 academic year and will only lose one initial scholarship for the 2007-08 academic year. In addition, wrestling (886), baseball (907) and men’s soccer (919) fell below the cut line, but will not receive penalties because their of their “upper confidence boundary” scores, in essence, that they are trending in a direction that will put them above the cut score in the four-year window that the rates will be averaged.

Because the four-year data isn’t available yet, the APP will apply a squad size adjustment to team APRs for the purposes of applying penalties. The adjustment helps ensure that low-performing teams are accurately identified given the smaller than intended data set (i.e. less than four years).

With an increased focus on recruiting, retention and academic services, particularly increased dollars in tutoring services, the Bulls saw overall growth in 60% of their programs and a reduction from five teams that were below the cut line last year to four this year.

“We have invested time, energy and dollars into our academic services area and have seen positive progress in the majority of our programs,” said Director of Athletics Warde Manuel. “We are particularly proud of our two programs – men’s tennis and women’s swimming – that received perfect scores. We will not, however, ever be satisfied until all of our programs are safely above the 925 minimum. We continue to address our academic and retention performance across the board, and I am confident that our football program is headed in the right direction under the leadership of head coach Turner Gill.”

Among the biggest movers in the overall rate were Buffalo’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, which increased by 28 and 25 points, respectively, to 941 and 929. All told, UB had eight teams – men’s and women’s cross country (978 and 982), women’s rowing (965), women’s softball (965), women’s soccer (982), men’s tennis (1,000), women’s swimming (1,000) and women’s volleyball (969) score over 960 points.

“We are moving in the right direction in this area, but it will take continued diligence to keep this trend moving forward,” said Manuel. “I am very appreciative of the efforts of our offices of student-athlete academic services and compliance for the work they have done in the past year.”